Wind farming firm builds a base at docks

THIS is the first look at a new building set to house the area's small but growing offshore wind farm industry.

The 7,000 sq ft facility is going up at the docks on Barrow Island as a base for the Danish national energy company Dong, and its contractors.

It owns half the Barrow Offshore Wind farm which started to operate 30 giant turbines between four and seven miles off Walney last year, while UK-owned Centrica has the other 50 per cent.

A fortnight ago Dong also got permission from the government to develop the Walney Wind Farm, which will have between 93 and 152 giant wind turbines 14 miles off Walney, powering 360,000 homes and creating around 45 jobs.

Dong and Vestas KBR, which have a contract to maintain BOW, have spent the last two years working out of portable cabins at the docks, but now at last comes a proper building.